Shirt-ironing machine



Sept.'4, 1923..

1,466,690` c. H. BOYULS SHIRT IRONING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1921 6Sheets-Sheet 1 'gNVENTOM' A RNEY sept. 4, 1923. 1,466,690 c.H.BoYULsSHIRT IRONING MACHINE sept. 4, 1923.

CH.BOYULS SHIRT IRONING MACHINE Filed June 25. 1921 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 wmQc? Qn Nm uw NN wm.

ORNEY Sept. 4, 1923.

CL H. BOYULS SHIRT IRONING MACHINE 1921 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 25Til ---2-11- :--xvflf -IIIIITE l -l rllllllllllL INVENTOR c 4 ATTORNEYsept. 4, 1923. 1,466,690

C.H. BOYULS SHIRT IRONING MACHINE ATTOTQNEY INV NTOR l C. H. BOYULSSHIRT IRONING MACHINE Sept. 4, 1923. 1,466,690

Filed June 25 1921 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Sept., 4, 1923.

CECIL H. BOYULS, 0F LOUISVILLE, IKELflllUCKY.-

SHIRT-IRONING MACHINE.

Application led June 25, 1921.

T o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CECIL H. BoYULs, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Louisville in 'the county of Jefferson and State ofentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inShirt-Ironing Machines, of which thev following is a specification.

This invention relates to ironing machines and has special reference toan ironing machine for` ironing shirts.

More particularly the invention relates to improvements in variousfeatures of the ironing machine shown and described in my previouspatent on shirt bosom and body machine, patented Niovember 2, 1920, thepatent being numbered 1,357,128.

One important object of the invention is to improve and simplify thegeneral construction of macliines'of .this character.

In my previously patented machine above l referred to two forms wereusedwhereon the shirts were placed and between these forms was mounted aswinging iron or presser for the bosom of the shirt having two faces,one

face being brought into use on one form and the other face on the otherform. This iron was heated by steam through its .trunnion I have foundthat this method of supplying steam to the iron is not as satisfactoryin many ways as the improvement hereinafter described.

A second object of the invention. is to provide an improved means ofsupplying an iron of the foregoing description with steam, the meansbeing so arranged and constructed as to be easy of manufacture, readilykept steam tight, and highly efficient in operation.

A third object is to improve the arrangement of the iron or bosompresser itself so that the heating means used'4 will be more effectiveand the iron kept hotter with-less waste of hea i In my previous patentI provided a perforated bosom 4board and forced air through theperforations so that a pad on the bosom board was dried. I have foundthat action of forcing air in this manner can be improved on and heatcan be conserved and the ad kept drier. p

T e fourth object of the invention is therefore to provide a novelarrangement wherebyair is drawn by suction through the serai no. 48am.

perforation. of the bosom board for the purpose of drying the vpad ontop of said board.

In the patent above noted the -tails of the slliirt were held tight byspring tensioned c ips. o y

A fifth object of the invention is to provide improved means for soholding thetails of the shirt.

In using the patented machine it was necessary to insert a collar buttonin the collar band of the shirt before the latter could be vproperlypositioned on the ironing machine. y

sixth object of the invention 'is to provide an improved mechanism forholdin the collar portion ofthe shirt which eliminates the necessity ofinserting a collar button during the ironingV process.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists ingeneral of certain novel details of construction and combinations of(parts hereinafter fully described, illustrate in the accompanyingdrawings, and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate likeparts in the several views, and

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved machine. v

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 4 is an enlarged face view of one of the elements or shirtsupporting forms, certain parts being broken away to disclose theportions thereunder. the same being shown collapsed in full lines andexpanded in dotted lines.

vFigure 5 is a section on the line 5 -5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a partial section on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.'

`Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Figure 8.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detailed plan view of the improved neck support.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail section on the line 9--9 of Figure 4.

Figure 10 'is an enlarged detail lshowing the improved tail stretchingdevice.

Figure 11 is a detail view showing a shirt in position on the shirtsupport.

In the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated there is provideda base 10. This base is 4substantially U-shaped in plan. the

legs of the U being disposed toward the operator. On-the forward end ofeach leg 1s provided a standard 11 having atA its upper end a supportingplate 12; 0n the rear center portion of the is a third standard 13. Onthe topl of standard portion 13 is a bearing 14 wherein is mounted ashaft carrying at one end a bevel gear 15 wherewith meshes a bevelpinion 16 fixed on a shaft 17 extending vertically through bearings 18mounted on the standard @13. Mounted on the base 10 is a motor 19 on theshaft of which is a pinion 20 which meshes with a ear 21 mounted on ashaft 22 journalled 1n suitable bearings 23 supported by .the standard13. On this shaft 22 is a worm 24 which meshes with a worm wheel 25fixed `on the shaft 17. The motor 1 9 is of the re,

versible type and certain automatic means are provided whereby the motormay be reversed at predetermined points as'will be hereinafterexplained. f

On the shaft supporting the bevel gear 15 is mounted a bracket 26carrying an arm 27 whereon is slidably mounted a weight 28 held inadjusted position on the arm by set screws' 29. The front end oftheshaft supporting the gear 15 is shown at 30 in Figure 1 and on this endis mounted a hub 31 from which extends a pair of arms 32 disposed inangular relation to each other and each carries at its outer end asupport plate 33.

Supported on each ofthe plates 12 and extending rearwardly and upwardlytherefrom is a hollow shirt support. -This support consists of a centralhollow body 34 whereto steam is supplied through a pipe 35, thecondensate and exhaust steam being lead off through a pipe 36. The upperface of this support is recessed as at 37 and fitted in this recess is ahollow bosom board 38 provided with perforations 39 in its up persurface. Communicating with the in- .terior of the bosom board 38 is apipe 40 The side of the body 34 is semi-elliptical in cross section andfitted on these sides are false sides or extension wings 41 which aresupported on rack bars 42 moving in suitable channels 43 extending fromside to side of the support. Extending longitudinally of the recess 37is shaft-44 having on its forward end a hand wheel 45. This shaftcrosses the rack bars 42 and at its points of intersection with theserack bars the shaft is provided with gears 46 which mesh with one ofeach pair of rack bars and also with other gears 47 which latter mesh inturn with the other rack bar of each pair,

Lacasse Thus by rotating the hand wheel 35 in one direction or the otherthe rack .bars are thrust out or are drawn in and consequently theexpansion sides 41 are in 'like manner forced outward or inward. Onthe'lower vpart of the body 34 is a rib 48 on which is supported a plate49 which thus has its'sides spaced from the lower side of the bod 34 andin these spaces slide 'plates 50 w ich are attached to the extensionsides 41. Similarly plates 51 overlap on the top of the horn so that asthe device is expanded or contracted the shirt will be supported at allpoints.

i- Mounted on each of the plates 33 is a `will be seen that whenever oneof these.

irons 52 is oii the bosom board, as shown in the left hand of thatfigure, the other iron will be elevated. In this elevated position thecondensate can readily flow down through the exhaust pipe thuspermitting live steam to circulate through the iron and heat itup. Then,when the right hand iron is depressed the left hand iron will beelevated so that the condensate can be drawn od' and that iron have itsheat increased. Tt will be noted that the counter-weight 29 is soarranged as to rightly balance the weight of the irons 52 so that themotor 19 will operate with verylittle use of current. Thus, a switch orswitches may be provided which can. be set to start the motor 19 toturning in one direction or the other as desired. These switches arepreferably arranged so that after the motor has revolved to bring oneiron 52 into its proper position with relation to the bosom board theswitch will automatically be opened and cannot be again closed to causefurther movement of the iron in that direction but the circuit throughthe motor can only be closed to cause reversal thereof so as to bringthe other iron into action.

Tt will now be further apparent that eX- hausting the` air through thepipe 40 at the time the hot iron 52 is on the shirt will draw airthrough the shirt and the pad, the air being heated by the iron 52 andconsequently the pad will be kept dry.

ln Figures? and 8 is shown in detail the improved neck supportingdevice. This device consists of a base plate 62 secured to the upper endof the bosom board by suitable bolts 63. Mounted on this base plate is apair of longitudinally sliding members 64 each of which is providedatits rear end with an upstanding pin 65. Also each of these members hasat its forward end anv angular pin 66 terminating in a buttonholeengaged end 67. Extending up from the plate 62 is an ear 68 and on eachside of this ear is an ear 69, these earsbeing connected by a pivot boltor pin 70. rlhe ears 69 are formed on the rear portion of a cover plate71 of segmental form and having a depending skirt 72. @pposite the pins66 the skirt is cut away as at 73. At the bottom of each ear 69 is anotch 74 which engages a respective lug 65. The cover plate 71 isfurthermore provided with a handle 75 so that this plate may be lockedon the pin 70. In the top of the cover plate 71 is'a slot 76 and.through this slot extends a spring catch 7 7 so arranged that itnormally holds the cover plate down.

ln the operation of this part of the device it will be seen that bymoving the catch 77 rearwardly the cover plate may be swung by itshandle around pin 70. This causes the bars 64 to move forwardly. rlheshirt to be ironed having been properly dampened and v slipped over theform the neck buttonholes at the front of the neck are engaged in therespective terminals 67. The handle 75 is then rocked forward and thisdraws the members 64 backward and at the same time brings the skirt 72over the neck band of the shirt thus holding it against accidental.release from the device.

In Figures 9 and 10 there is detailed the improved clamps and tensionmeans for holding the tails of the shirt in proper position. Thisimproved means comprises casings 78 each of which is secured to ythefront lateral portion of one of the expansion sides or wings 41. Withinthis casing 78 is mounted a drum 79, a suitable pin`80 being providedupon which the drum may revolve. Within this drum is a coiled spring 81one end of which is attached to the drum while the other end isattachedv to the pin 80. The pin 80 is provided with a collar 82and'extends through the casing 79 and terminates in a squared keyreceiving end 83. On this pin is also fitted a nut 84. By means of thisarrangement the nut and collar 82 act as a clamp so that by placing akey on theend 83 after loosening the nut 84 the pin 8O may be revolveduntil the required tension is obtained on the spring 81. Then the nut 84may be screwed up toA clamp said pin in position. Wound on the drum 79is a cable` 85 which leads out through a suitable opening 86 and isconnected at its outer end to an eye 87. rlhis eye is mounted on one armof a bent lever 88 having at one end a gripping body 89 and at its otherend a finger grip 90. Opposite to this lever is a similarly bent lever91 provided with a aw 92 coacting with the jaw 89 and with a fingengrip93. Levers 88 and 91 are connected pivotally by a pin 94 passing throughcomplementary ears 95 formed on these levers and the jaws 89 and 92 arenormally held closed by a leaf spring 96 suitably interposed between therearends of the levers.

In operation a shirt whichhas been'preferably dampened until it issuitable for ironing is drawn over one of the horns until its shouldersIengage the upper end' of said horn. The collar button is then adjustedon the collar` band support as has just been described. 'lhe handlewheel 35is then rotated until the wings 41 are forced so far outwardthat the shirt is fittedsnugly to the hot support, the wings 41 havingbeen heated by their contact with thisfsupport so that they also Aassistin drying the vshirt in its smooth condition. The operator now adjuststhe tail clamps thus ensuring that the ower part of the shirt isproperlyset on the support.' Next he closes the Vswitch which actuatesthe motor to bring the proper iron 52 into position onxthe bosom boardand it is to be noted that the upper part of each iron 52 is providedwith a notch 90 which fits closely on skirt 72 so thatthe collar band isheld in` position. rlhe motor having' been started the iron movesdownward into position to engage the shirt bosom and when this portionis meshed the motor is automatically shut off. The operator then stepsover to the other support and in like manner adjusts a second shirt.Upon his starting the motor with the second switch the motor reversesand brings the proper iron into'contact with the second `bosom shirt atthe same time releasing the iron which has previously been on the first.He then steps back to the first support and releases and removes theshirt from that support. operation may be continued by passing from oneto the other as many times as may be desired.

There has thus been provided a simple and eflicient device of the kinddescribed and for the purpose specified.

lt is obvious that minor changes may be made in the formi9andconstruction of the invention without departing from t-he materialprinciples thereof. lt is not therefore desired to confine the inventionto the exact form herein shown and described, but it is wished toinclude all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

Havin thus described the invention, what is claime as new, is

1. lin a machine of the class described. a 'pair of spaced garmentsupporting forms, a shaft journalled between said forms, a t-shaped ironsupport fixed to said shaft., hollow ironing members each carried by oneof the arms of the V-shaped support, an arm carried by the shaft andextending in a It is obvious that the direction opposite the V-shapedsupport, said arm bisecting the exterior angle between the arms of theil-shaped support, a counter-weight adjustable yon said arm, means tohold thecounter-weight in adjusted position 0n the arm, and means tooscillate the shaft and thereby bring the irons selectively intocooperative relation with the garment -supporting forms.

2. In a machine of the class described, a pair of spaced garmentsupporting forms, a shaft journalled between said forms, a V-shaped ironsupport xed to said shaft, hollow ironing members each carried by one ofthe arms of theV-shaped supporthan arm carried by the shaft andextending in a direction opposite the ll-shaped support, said armbisecting the exterior angle between the arms of the V-shaped support, acounterweight slidable on'said arm, means to hold the counter-weight inadjusted position on the arm, means to oscillate the shaft and therebybringthe irons selectively into oper-v ative relation with the garmentsupporting forms, and means Vto supply steam to and exhaust steam andcondensate from said irons.

pair of spaced garment supporting forms, a shaft journalled between saidforms, a t-shaped iron support fixed to said shaft, hollow ironingmembers each carried by one of the arms out the ri-shaped support, anarm carried by the shaft and extending in a direction opposite theV-shaped support, a counter-weight slidable on said arm, means to holdthe counter-weight in adjusted position on the arm, means to oscillatethe shaft and thereby bring the irons selectively into cooperativerelatlon with the garment supporting forms, and means to supply steam,to and exhaust steam and condensate from said irons comprising a supplypipe, a swivel joint carried by said supply pipe in axial alignment withthe shaft, a pipe connection leading from the swivel joint to saidirons, an exhaust pipe, an exhaust swivel carried by the exhaust pipe inalignment with said shaft, and pipe connection from the exhaust swivelto said irons.

4. ln a machine oi the class described, a garment supporting form,lateral wing members cooperating with said form, means to expand andcontract said wing members, and garment tensioning devices supportedi byand movable with the wing members. said garment tensioning deviceincluding spring means for maintaining a tension on the garment in allpositions of the wing members.

5. ln a machine of the class described, a pair of spaced garmentsupporting forms, a shaft journalled between said forms, a pair ofspaced hollow ironing members each adapted to contact with a respectiveform, said members being mounted on said shaft 3. ln a machine of theclass described, aV

raoaeeo and so arranged that movement of one of the members toward itsform moves the other member away from its form.

6. ln a machine of the class described, a pair of spaced garmentsupporting forms, a il-shaped support journalled at its angle betweensaid terms, and hollow ironing members each carried by one of the armsof the i/-shaped support and arranged to contact with a respectivegarment supporting form.

7. ln a machine of the class described, a pair 0f spaced garmentsupporting forms, a shaft journalled betweeny said forms, a iig-shapediron support fixed to said shaft, hollow ironing members each carried byone of the arms of the V-shaped support, and

means to oscillate the shaft and thereby bring the irons selectivelyinto cooperative relation with the respective garment sup.- portingforms.

8. In an ironing machine, a pair of spaced work supports, and a pair ofspaced irons each arranged to cooperate with a respective work support,each iron and its cooperating` support constituting a pair of elementsone of which is fixed and the other movable into and out of pressingrelation with the lixed element, the movable elements being arranged' tomove one linto pressing relation with its cooperating xed element, andthe other out of pressing relation with its fixed element coincidentallytherewith,.the movable elements being mounted to move in arcuate pathsabout a common center, and

forming parts of one and the same machine.

9. in an ironing machine, a pair of spaced work supports, and a pair ofspaced irons each arranged to cooperate with a respective work support.each iron and its cooperating support constituting a pair orq elementsone of which is fixed and the other movable, said movable elements beingmounted to move the one in one direction and the other in the oppositedirection in unison, the movement of said movable elements beingarranged to eiect approach of one movable element to its cooperatingtixed element and simultaneous movement of the movable element away fromits tixed element, said movable elements being mounted Von a common baseto swing in arcuate paths about a common center.

10. ln an ironing machine, a pair ot spaced work supports constitutingironing boards, and a pair of spaced irons mounted CECIL H. BYULS.

